Knuttel Records Goal and Assist in 6-2 Loss at UConn

Sunday, September 1

Storrs, Conn.

3 PM

University of New Hampshire

(0-2-0)

UConn

(2-0-0)

New Hampshire

UConn

9/1/2024 7:59:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

STORRS, Conn. – Sophomore Kathelijne Knuttel (Groningen, Netherlands) recorded a goal and an assist but the University of New Hampshire field hockey team was defeated 6-2 by UConn on Sunday afternoon at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex.

Faye Meijer (Purmerend, Netherlands) scored HNH's other goal. Freshman goalkeeper Kerigan Ross (Baltimore, Md.) was charged with the loss as she made one save and exited the game at the end of the first quarter with UNH trailing 3-2. Abby Johnson (Walpole, Mass.), another rookie goalie, was credited with four saves in 45 minutes.

UConn was led offensively by Sol Simone's two goals and two assists. Sophie Perschk and Sophia Ugo both recorded a goal and an assist. Starting goalie Natalie Mckenna made one save and allowed two goals in 55:22. Gabby Raichle stopped two shots the rest of the way.

UNH is now 0-2 and UConn moves to 2-0.

UP NEXT

New Hampshire returns to action Sept. 6 (2 p.m.) at Quinnipiac.
UNH's home opener is Sept. 8 (12 p.m.) against Lafayette.

FIRST QUARTER

Following a two-hour, 15-minute delay to the start of the game because of lightning strikes, the teams combined to score five goals in the opening 10 minutes of the game.
UConn quickly took a 1-0 lead on Juul Sauer's goal 46 seconds into the game.
UNH scored goals 72 seconds apart to take a 2-1 lead. Tasmin Cookman (London, England) dribbled into the top of the circle and her flick toward the net was redirected into the cage by Knuttel at 4:36.
Meijer scored her first career goal when her low blast from the middle of the circle went into the center of the cage at 5:48. Knuttel, who collected the Nicole Poulakis (Ajax, Ontario) entry hit and then slipped a pass between her legs to Meijer, was credited with the assist.
UConn followed with goals 2:04 apart on tallies by Ugo and Simone at 8:10 and 10:14, respectively, to put the Huskies back in front, 3-2.

SECOND QUARTER

Johnson made an impressive kick save just 2:13 into her college career when she extended her left leg to turn aside Sauer's blast through traffic from the top-left of the circle.

THIRD QUARTER

UConn scored three goals in a span of less than four minutes to quickly extend the advantage to 6-2.
Lila Browne began the flurry with a goal at 36:36 and was followed by Perschk at 38:12 and Simone at 40:26.

FOURTH QUARTER

UNH recorded a 4-2 shot advantage and 2-1 edge in corners in the scoreless fourth quarter.

UNH NOTEBOOK

Johnson made all four of her saves in the second quarter.
Knuttel is now atop the UNH points leaderboard with three.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

UConn finished with the edge in shots (16-8), shots on goal (11-5) and penalty corners (6-4).

COACH'S QUIP
"Once we got out there we were flying," UNH head coach Robin Balducci said. "We scored a couple of really nice goals, but then we got into a little bit of trouble and couldn't get out of it.

"It was the nuttiest 10 minutes of my coaching career and the UConn coach said the same thing," Balducci stated in reference to the teams combining for five goals in the opening 10 minutes of the game.